Adjustably mounted beet harvester



Sept. 7, 1954 K. B. soRENsEN ETAL 2,688,222

ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1952 7, 1954 K. a. soRENsEN ETAL 2,688,222

ADJUSTAEEY MOUNTED EEET HARVESTER Sept.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5. 1952 Sept. 7 T1954 K. B. soRENsEN ETAL 2,688,222

ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Filed April 5, 1952 4 SheetsSheet 3 I N l' EN TORS KNUD B. SORENSEN HOWARD F CLU A TORNEYS S@Pt- 7, 1954 K. B. soRENsr-:N Erm. 2,688,222

ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 5, 1952 FIG. 4

1N VEN URS. KNUD B. SORENSEN HOWARD F. CLAUSEN ORNEYS Patented Sept. 7, 1954 ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED BEET HARVESTER Knud B. Sorensen, Rock Island, and Howard F.

Clausen, Moline, Ill., assignors to Deere & Company, Moline, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 5, 1952, Serial No. 280,764

The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and more particularly to beet harvesters.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of a beet harvester having new and improved means for raising and lowering the beet digging elements and particularly arranged and constructed to withstand the relatively large forces involved Vin loosening the ground `surrounding the beets, raising them out of the ground, and directing them toward a point of discharge, all of which is performed at a relatively high rate of ground travel, as required by modern tractor farming operations.

It is a further feature of this invention to provide new and improved means for driving certain parts of the harvester irrespective of dierent operating positions of the beet-engaging and digging elements.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a beet harvester in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view, with certain lportions broken away, showing the details of digger-supporting structure and associated parts.

Figure 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary perspective showing the principal portions of the frame structure and the compression and tension link means connecting the digger-supporting structure with the harvester frame structure.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail View showing the adjustable supporting wheel mounting.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View, similar to Figure 3, showing the two pairs of digger wheels and associated parts.

Referring now first to Figure l, the beet harvester, which is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral I0, is shown as a two-wheel supported cart-like structure propelled by and supported at its front end on a farm tractor II. The latter is generally of conventional construc tion and embodies a drawbar I2 'to which the front end of the harvester is connected, as by a hitch structure I3 that is rigidly connected with the front portion of the main frame `III of the harvester. The supporting wheels of the harvester are indicated at I5 and are carried in a wheel frame and spindle assembly I 6 that is arranged to be adjustable laterally relative to the main frame I4. The supporting Wheels I5 are arranged generally midway between the front and rear ends of 'the harvester frame I4.

'The beet harvester Ill preferably is constructed and Aarranged as a two-row machine and includes a beet digging unit 2U, and a conveyor and cleaning unit indicated generally at 21, a rear elevator unit 22 that delivers the beets onto a forwardly moving sorting belt 23, anda truck elevator unit 24 Vthat receives the beets .from the sorting belt and delivers them laterally outwardly and upwardly to a point of discharge from which the beets drop into la truck, trailer or the like driven alongside the harvester in operation. The present invention is particularly concerned with the beet digging unit 23, particularly the framework and associated parts by which the digging elements are supported, and raised and lowered, and a detailed description of the various parts of the beet digging unit `2li appears below.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, the main frame I4 comprises generally fore-and-aft extending frame bars, preferably in the form of pipe members 3| and 32, arranged in laterally spaced apart relation. To the forward ends of the frame members 3l and 32 is secured `a cross frame member in the .form of 'a tube or pipe 33. A similar pipe member 34 connects the rear ends of the fore-and-aft extending frame members 3l -and 32, the parts being rigidly interconnected, as by welds, together with suitable reenforcing gussets and the like. A pair of vertical generally fore-and-aft extending plates 35 and 36 are secured, as by welding, to the frame members 3I and 32 at the outer sides thereof, and Athese brackets or plates are apertured to receive a pair of transverse pipe members 38 and 39, which are securely welded or otherwise fixed to the bracket plates 35 and 3G. As indicated in Figure l, each of the supporting wheels I5 is journaled for rotation in a wheel frame it that comprises a pair of laterally spaced apart plates vIl and d2 that are securely xed, as by welding, to the laterally outer end portions of a pair of tubular members i3 and 44, the laterally inner end portions of which are adapted to be received in the adjacent ends of the main frame cross pipes 38 and 33. The members 38 and 33 are provided with apertures 46, as best shown in Figure 3,'and, as best shown in Figure 4, the wheel frame members 43 and 44 are provided with a plurality of apertures 4l, which, with associated pins or bolts 48, provide for securing the wheel frames `IE5 rigidly to the main frame I4 in different positions of lateral adjustment. In each of the wheel frame and spindle units I6, a wheel axle or spindle 5I is carried by the associated plates 4| and 42 through suitable spindle brackets 52.

' The beet digging unit 20 includes a plurality of spike wheels 55, there preferably being two wheels for each row of beets to be dug, and these wheels are mounted for free rotation on a generally transverse, vertically disposed diggersupporting structure 51. This structure includes a transverse member 58, which may be a square tube or the like, and a pair of depending Shanks or standards 59 rigidly secured at their upper ends tc the transverse member 58, preferably by a plurality of bolts 69 secured in different laterally spaced openings 62 in the member 58 which thereby provide for arranging the Shanks 01 standards 59 in diierent lateral spacings. The lower portion of each of the Shanks or standards 59 carries laterally outwardly and downwardly extending spindles 9| on which the digger wheels 56 are mounted for rotation. A bifurcated bracket structure 65 is fixed to each end of the transverse member 58 and is apertured to receive a pin 66 by which front portions of a generally horizontally disposed link means 61 is connected with the digger-supporting structure 51.

The link means 61 preferably is in the form of a stabilizing frame having sufficient rigidity to resist torsional and lateral deflection and comprises rightand left-hand side members 68 and 69, preferably in the form of pipes, tubes or the like, rigidly interconnected by cross members 1| and i2 securely fixed, as by welding, to the pipe members 68 and 99. The forward ends of the pipe members 68 and 69 are apertured to receive the pins 66, and the rear ends of the pipe members 68 and 69 are apertured to receive a second set of pivot pins by which the frame 6l' is pivotally connected with the main frame l of the harvester, as through the bracket plates 35 and 36, and associated auxiliary brackets 11 and 18. The frame maintains the vertically disposed, transversely extending digger-supporting structure 51 in a position generally between the laterally spaced apart main frame members 3| and 32. The digger-supporting structure 51 also includes a forward frame extension 80 and a rearward frame extension 8|, disposed generally in the same horizontal plane, and will be referred to later in detail.

Secured to the front main cross frame member 33 is a pair of depending brackets 84 and 85, each welded at its upper end to the front cross frame member 39 in laterally spaced apart relation. A hammer strap 81 is securely fixed, as by welding, to the lower portion of each of the brackets 84 and 85, and each hammer strap, to gether with portions of the associated depending bracket, is apertured to receive a pivot 88 by which the front end of a tension link member 99 is pivotally connected therewith. Each tension link 96 includes a pair of bars 9| and 92, and these bars are disposed in laterally spaced apart relation at their rear ends, embracing the lower portions of the associated digger wheel shank or standard 59 and pivotally connected therewith, as by a pivot bolt 94, which passes through apertures in the bars 9| and 92 and an aperture in the associated shank 59. As will best be seen from Figure 2, the tension link members 90, there being one for each of the Shanks 59, are disposed in a generally horizontal plane that is substantially parallel, when the digger wheels tot are in operation, to the horizontal plane of the horizontal link means or stabilizing frame 61.

The forward extension of the digger-supporting frame 51 comprises a front angle 91 and side angles 98 and 99, the rear ends of the latter being secured, as by welding, to the crossbar 58, as best shown in Figure 3. A pair of braces I0| are xed at their rear and lower ends to the lower portions of the digger Wheel Shanks 59 and at their upper forward ends to the extension frame angle 91. The latter forms a part of a crossbar structure |03 which includes, in addition to the angle 91, a lower member |04 and depending brackets |05 that secure the ends of the lower bar |94 to the forward ends of the side angles 98 and 99. Hammer straps are fixed to the forward ends of the side angles 99 and 99, these portions being apertured to receive pivot pin means H2 by which the upper ends of a pair of lift links H3 are pivotally connected with the digger-supporting frame 51 through the forwardly extending frame section 80. The lower ends of the links H3 are apertured to receive pivots H5 by which the links H3 are connected to arms H6 fixed to a forward cross shaft H1. The latter is supported for rocking movement through suitable bearing means I I8 in a pair of depending brackets |2|. An arm |23 is connected in any suitable way with the cross shaft I1 and is arranged to be operated by a hydraulic cylinder E24 that is supported at its front end on the front portion of the hitch structure I3 and which includes a piston rod |26 pivotally connected to the lower end of the arm |23. The latter member, together With the shaft H1 and arms I6, constitutes a power-operated bell crank which, acting through the links H3, serves to raise and lower the digger-supporting structure 51, and since the rear link means or frame 61 and the forward link means 99 are disposed in substantial parallelism, as shown in Figure 2, the diggersupporting structure 51 is moved directly vertically in different parallel positions.

The rear frame extension 8| of the digger-supporting structure 51 comprises a pair of rearwardly extending channels |3| rigidly secured in any suitable way to the rear side of the cross member 58. Each of the short channels |3| has xed to the rear end thereof a depending bearing bracket |32 in which a cross shaft |33 is journaled for rotation. A plurality of paddle wheel elements |35 are xed in any suitable way to the shaft |33, each of the elements |35 including a plurality of beet-engaging blades |36 arranged as best shown in Figure 2. The shaft |33 also supports the forward `end of a cleaner frame |49 that includes a pair of bars |4| supported at their forward ends through suitable bearing means on the shaft |33. lThe rear ends of the two bars |4| are apertured to receive cleaner bearing brackets |42 in which a cross shaft |43 is received. Secured in any suitable way to the shaft |43 is a plurality of rotors E44, each of which is provided with a plurality of radially extending ngers |45, preferably of rubber. Only one rotor |44 appears in Figure 2 because the others are disposed directly behind the one appearing in Figure 2. The rear end oi' the cleaner frame is supported by a pair of adjustable eye bolts or supporting rods |49, the lower ends of which are connected in any suitable way with the cleaner frame bars Il and at their upper ends the rods |49 are extended through cushioning springs |46 carried by brackets |41 fixed to the transverse frame pipe 39. The upper assegna ends of the bolts or rods |45 are threaded to receive adjusting nuts |48, and by turning the latter the rear end of the cleaner frame |40 may be raised or lowered relative to the main frame I4. Itis to be noted that the cleaning rotor |44 is disposed substantially directly below the supporting members It?, whereby vertical movement of the digger-supporting frame 5l, together with the beet-engaging paddle wheels |35 and the forward portions oi the cleaner frame bars I4I, does not change the position of the rotors |44 with respect to the harvester frame.

A lower conveyor |55 is supported generally underneath the paddle wheels |35 and the cleaning rotors IM.. The conveyor |55 includes a conveyor chain It@ mounted on front rollers supported on a shaft It?, the latter being supported at the front portions of a pair of generally foreand-aft extending bars |58, the rear ends of the latter being mounted for rocking movement on a shaft |50. The shaft |59 is carried by any suitable means, such as a bracket structure |6| fixed directly to the main frame I4 of the harvester. For raising and lowering the front end of the conveyor |55 when the digger-supporting structure 5l is raised and lowered, the front ends of the bars |53 are pivotally connected, as at |64, to the lower ends of a pair of lift bars It, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to lugs |66 ixed, as by welding, to the lower side of the orossbar 'I I A plurality of colters llt, each rotatably mounted in a colter yoke III connected to the lower end of a colter shank |12, are disposed in front of the beet digging units 20. The upper portions or the several colter shanks |12, there preferably being four in number as best shown in Figure 3, are connected by suitable clamps |'I3 with the front crossba-r structure |03 of the frame extension 80. The clamps IIS and the colters may be arranged as desired, there preferably being a pair of colters for each row of beets to be harvested. The colters are raised and lowered directly with the raising and lowering of the digger wheels 56.

The main frame I4 carries a power shaft P, Figure 1, by which a drive chain |80 is driven. The chain it@ is trained over a sprocket |8| carried at the upper end of an upright |82 xe'd to the rear extension frame 8| of the digger frame 5l. The lower portion of the drive chain |80 is trained over a sprocket |83 secured to the paddle wheel shaft 33, whereby the latter and the paddle wheel elements i3d are driven. A sprocket Iti is xed to the paddle wheel shaft |33 and drives the beater cross shaft |43 through a drive chain It and a sprocket |86. Since the drive chains |30 and |85, and associated sprockets |8I, itt, Idil and itt, are conventional it suiiioes to show these parts diagrammatically in Figure 2. No claim is made in this application to the aforesaid drive chains and sprockets. As will be seen from Figure 2, the arrangement is such that by virtue of the bars i4 i, up-and-down movement of the digger frame 5l does not materially disturb the drive between the sprocket |84 and the sprocket ISG on the cleaner wheel shaft |43.

In operation, as the machine is propelled forwardly (toward the right as viewed in Figures l and 2) the lower links @t act in tension to pull the digging wheels through the soil. Since the links @t are connected with the wheel-supporting shanks or standards 59 at points above the spindles 6|, the tension forces tend to swing the upper portion of the digger supporting structure 5l forwardly, which is resisted by the link means II acting mainly in tension. Thus, with the prin cipal members acting in tension, structural shapes, smaller than would be adequate if they were called upon to act in compression, provide suiiicient strength to sustain the forces involved in digging beets.

While we have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of our invention.

What we claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a beet harvester, a generally horizontal main frame, generally upright digger-supporting structure, soil-entering digging means carried by said structure adjacent its lower end, generally horizontal iore-and-aft extending tension link means pivotally connected at its rear end to the lower portion of said digger-supporting structure above said digging means, means pivotally connecting the iront end of said tension link means with the forward portion of said main frame, generally horizontal fore-and-aft extending link means pivotally connected at its forward end to the upper portion of said digger-supporting structure above said tension link means and acting in tension between the upper portion of said digger-supporting structure and said main frame when soil pressure acts against said digging means, means pivotally connecting the rear end of said last mentioned link means with said main frame, and means reacting between said main frame and said digger-supporting structure for raising and lowering the latter.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, further characterized by said two link means being disposed in substantially parallel horizontal planes in a working position.

3. In a beet harvester, a generally horizontal main frame including a pair o laterally spaced, fore-and-aft extending frame bars, a generally vertically disposed digger-supporting structure disposed in a position between said frame bars, a rigid stabilizing frame pivotally connected at its rear end with said frame bars and at its forward end with laterally spaced points of said diggersupporting structure adjacent the upper portion thereof, a pair of depending brackets nxed rigidly to the front end of said main frame and disposed in laterally spaced apart relation, ground-entering digging means connected with the lower portion of said digger-supporting structure, and a pair of tension links pivotally connected at their forward ends with said depending brackets, respectively, and with the lower portions of said digger-supporting structure above said digging means, whereby the digger-supporting structure is held in position by said stabilizing frame and said tension links but is capable of shifting in a generally vertical direction relative to said main frame.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, further characterized by said digger-supporting structure including a forwardly 'disposed extension fixed rigidly to the upper portion of said digger-supporting structure, and means connected with the forward portion of said extension for raising and lowering said digger-supporting structure.

5. In a beet harvester, a main frame including front cross members and a pair of generally fore-and-aft extending members spaced apart laterally, a pair of upstanding brackets carried by said members adjacent the rear ends thereof, a laterally rigid stabilizing frame, comprising a pair of side members and cross members rigidly interconnecting said side members, means for pivotally connecting the rear ends of said side members with said upstanding brackets on the main frame, a digger-supporting structure comprising a transverse member and a pair of generally vertical digger wheel shanks rigidly connected at their upper ends to said transverse member, means pivotally connecting the forward ends of said side members with said last mentioned transverse member, draft links connecting the front portions of said main frame with the lower portions of said digger wheel shanks, a frame extension rigidly fixed at its rear end to the forward side of said digger frame transverse member, and means acting between the front portion of said extension and said main frame for raising and lowering said digger-supporting structure.

6. In a beet harvester including a main frame, a digger-supporting structure, comprising a transverse member, a pair of shanks xed at their upper ends to said member, a pair of frame means extending, respectively, fore and aft of said member from the upper portion of said digger-supporting structure, digging means carried at the lower ends of said shanks, means on the main frame connected with the forward portion of the forwardly extending frame means for raising and lowering said digger-supporting structure, and a beet-engaging member rotatably mounted on the rear end of the rearwardly extending frame means and rearwardly and upwardly of said digging means.

7. In a. beet harvester, a main frame, a laterally rigid stabilizing frame, comprising a pair of side members and cross members rigidly interconnecting said side members, means pivotally connecting the rear ends of said side members with said main frame, a digger-supporting structure comprising a transverse member and a pair of generally vertical digger wheel shanks rigidly connected at their upper ends to said transverse member, means pivotally connecting the forward ends of said side members with said last mentioned transverse member, draft links connecting the front portions of said main frame with the lower portions of said digger wheel shanks, a frame extension rigidly fixed at its rear end to the forward side of said digger frame transverse member, and means acting between the front portion of said extension and said main frame fol` raising and lowering said digger-supporting structure.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7, further characterized by a second frame extension fixed rigidly at its forward end to the rear side of said digger transverse member and extending rearwardly therefrom, vdepending bearing bracket means fixed to said rearwardly extending frame extension rearwardly of said digger wheel shanks. and beet-engaging means rotatably carried by said bracket means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 840,482 Dusseau Jan. 8, 1907 2,087,402 Geibig July 20, 1937 2,350,173 Loucks et al May 30, 1944 2,535,960 Schmidt Dec. 26, 1950 2,582,945 Bingham et al Jan. 22, 1952 

